Sash balance



1941- A. VIEHWEGERI 2,229,148

SASH BALANCE Filed June 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j, august Walla/eye)" Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES sssn nausea Angnstviehweger, New Palts, N. Y.,' assignor to Grand Rapids Hardware Company,

Grand Rapids, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application June 16, 1938, Serial No. 214,081

This invention relates to a sash balance of the type having a balance spring and a co-acting rotatable spirally threaded element.

It is aimed to provide a novel structure of this general character in which the spring is completely enclosed and in which the construction generally is more stable, simplified and chicient.

The more specific objects and advantages will in become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

- In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, showing my invention applied to window sashes mounted in a window frame;

Figure 2 is a detail view partly in section and partly in elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the uppermost corner portion of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the sash balance detached;

Figure 4 is a view primarily in vertical section through the upper portion of the sash balance;

Figure 5 is a view in central vertical section,

through the lower portion of the sash balance;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 6-8 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 5;-

; Figure 8 is a detail section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 3;

Figure 9 is a detail section taken on the line 9-4 of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a detail section taken on the line ill-l0 of Figure 1;

Figure 11 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the stationary or frame bracket to which the rotatable rod is screw threaded, and

Figure 12 is'a detail perspective of the upper 0 sash bracket.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, In designates upper and lower window sashes, slidably mounted in. the usual way in a 45 window frame ll. These parts are of conventional construction. The improved sash balances are suggested at I2. The sashes may initially be provided with these sash balances in lieu of sash weights and cords or the like, or they may be used 0 as replacements for the usual balances and cords,

in which event, such weights and cords are removed, and the devices l2 substituted therefor.

In carrying out the invention, av tubular rod is provided at It which is preferably made from 55 a relatively narrow strip of metal or other appropriate material which is coiled spirally, with the edges of the spirals overlapping as shown at It and the outer edges of which are turned outwardly' to form a screw thread or flight IE, it being clear, if desired, that the tubular rod thus 5 produced is swaged or deformed in its course of manufacture so that it will have atruly cylindrical bore and be substantially truly cylindrical on the exterior, aside from the flight IS. The

metal of the tubular rod may be welded, soldered 1o 7 or otherwise secured together at the overlapping portions H or be made of material suiiiciently strong to remain in the shape described and' shown without solder, welding or extraneous fastening. 15

Said rotatable tube or device I 3 is preferably used in pairs, with one located in grooves it, provided in the outer longitudinal edges of each sash and the tubular members co-act with and house suitably tensioned coil springs II, the latter hav- 20 ing their wire preferably of square or rectangular form in cross section whereby a fiat exterior will be' presented since the coils contact, and whereby kinking is avoided.

At the upper ends such devices 12 include at- 5 I taching brackets ll of angular form, the same having depending spaced apart branches i8 provided with openings l9, through which screws may be passed to secure the brackets to the sashes I 0. A stud 20 depends from the bracket 11', being rigidly fastened thereto as through the upsetting of a rivet extension 2! about an opening 22 in the bracket. A bushing 23 is interposed between the stud and tube, the latter being journaled thereon, and the bushing being fixed as by means of a pin 24 to the stud. Such bushing has a longitudinally extending slot 25 into which a terminal 26 of the spring I! extends and is thereby anchored.

The lower end of the spring I1 is fastened to the upper enlarged end 26' of a bushing 21 which is fixed to and rotates with the tubular rod l3 since the latter has projections or indentations at 28 depressed into openings 29 of the bushing 21. Such bushing 21 in turn is journaled one. stud 30 which is rigidly fastened to a lower bracket 3| screwed or otherwise fastened as at 32 to the sash.

In order that the spring ll. may be placed under proper tension prior to installation of the balance and maintained under tension during its application to the window sash, bushing 21 is provided with a series of notches or recesses 32' and bracket 3| has an opening 33 therethrough adapted to register with any of said notches or openings 32' so that by employing a removable pin 3| removably engages/hie in the recesses 32' and opening I3. the bracket 3| may be utilized as a crank to tension the spring II, it being understood that in doing this the upper end oi the spring is restrained from rotation by grasping the upper bracket ll'. Alternatively, of course. the member 3| could be grasped and the upper bracket Il' rotated to tension the spring. Following such tensioning, the brackets l1 and II are aiiixed to the sash and a bracket 35 (to be described) positioned and attached to the window frame in proper position. Then pin 34 is removed to enable operation of the sash balance.

The tubular rod 13 co-acts with a stationary bracket 35 adapted to be screwed at 38 rigidly to the window frame II. The tubular rod it passes through an opening 31 provided in an oilset portion or collar 38 of the bracket and such opening is enlarged to provide a spiral groove 3! in which the flight 15 travels in order to turn the tubular rod or rods l3 incidental to sliding of. the sashes II and correspondingly control the tension of the spring or springs II.

It will be noted that the spacing of the branches l8 enables the same to straddle the portion or collar 38.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sash balance comprising a tubular rod having a spiral flight on the exterior thereof, a bracket through which the rod passes having a portion engaged by the flight to cause turning of the rod, 0. spring within the rod, means to anchor the spring at one end, means movable with the rod enga ing the spring at the other end to tension it through turning of the rod, said rod comprking a strip coiled with its edges in overlapl l relation, the outermost edge being flanged to provide said flight.

2. A sash balance" comprising an elongated cylindrical member, formed of a ribbon of sheet metal helicaliy wound with the edges of each convolution eng ging the edges of adjacent convolutions, to form a closed cylindrical wall of uniform diameter, an edge of such ribbon being bent to an angle with the ribbon surface and thereby Iorminga helical flange protruding substantially from the surface 01' said wall, means for rotatably mounting said member along the vertical edge of a sash, means adapted to be fixed to the frame within which the sash is carried, for engaging said flange to cause rotation of said member upon sliding the sash, and spring means within said member and having its ends so connected in respect to said member and its mounting that rotation of said member is promoted during raising oi the sash and retarded during lowering thereof.

AUGUST V'EHWEGER. 

